Woll's first came back could come on Saturday against the Blackhawks, but coach Berube wasn't ready to confirm that yet.
Joseph Woll is prepared to step into the Toronto Maple Leafs' crease again.
Fresh off a two-game conditioning stint with the Toronto Marlies, Woll rejoined the Maple Leafs for practice on Friday afternoon. He and Dennis Hildeby (plus two practice goalies) commanded the net as Anthony Stolarz missed practice due to an upper-body injury suffered on Tuesday against the Boston Bruins.
Artur Akhtyamov was sent back to the AHL on Friday morning to make room on the roster for Woll.
Woll originally left the Maple Leafs during training camp for personal reasons. Just over a month later, the goaltender returned to the team. He was involved in practices before going down to the Marlies.
While down in the AHL, the 27-year-old allowed six goals on 52 shots — an .885 save percentage — through 96:48. He wasn't worried about the scoreline, but more so about feeling good while in the crease.
"I feel great," Woll said on Friday. "I'm ready to go."
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube wasn't willing to reveal whether Woll would start for Toronto on Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks. However, judging by how much Hildeby has played recently (four games in six days), it almost feels like Woll should definitely play.
"I'm not sure yet," added Berube, "but thinking about it, definitely."
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Woll stopped 25 of 28 shots in his second game of a conditioning loan with the Marlies on Wednesday afternoon.
Woll's presence in the Maple Leafs' net could provide a much-needed spark for a team that's on the heels of four straight losses. His teammates love him, and if he were to get back into the crease against the Blackhawks, they'll surely play for him.
"Well, it means a lot to the team (to have him back)," Berube said. "I mean, obviously, him leaving at that point was a surprise and obviously catches everybody off guard, but (he was) a big part of our team last year."
It'll be fascinating to see how Woll fares in his first couple of games back. In some cases, it may take a bit of time for players to adjust to the game's speed again after being out for a while. For Woll, "I just feel like I kind of hopped into the middle of the season, which I've actually done more often than not, so it's comfortable for me."
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Matthews suffered the ailment midway through the second period of Tuesday's game against the Bruins.
How does the goaltender know when he's ready to see game action in the NHL again?
"I think a couple of big things are just kind of my pace that I move at, making sure I'm moving quickly and have my feet under me type of thing, and just kind of like the reads of the game. So I feel like those are both where they need to be and have a good mindset, and ready to go."
Even William Nylander has liked what he's seen from Woll in practice.
"He's been looking great. Today he was unreal," a smiling Nylander said on Friday, 30 minutes or so after Woll cleared a shot of his off the goal line. "It'll be nice to have him back."
Putting him in the net makes more sense when you look at where Toronto is playing: a five-hour car ride (and quicker if you take the plane) from his hometown of Dardenne Prairie, Missouri. He added that these Chicago games make him feel closer to home.
"It's getting to the Midwest and breathing the same air in a way," he smiled. "Yeah, it'll be nice to be close to home."
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Kampf took a leave from the Marlies to think about his future before this decision came down on Thursday.
Despite this difficult stretch for the Maple Leafs, Woll is keen about getting back into the net. Nothing is changing, though, when it comes to how he'll approach his first game back in the lineup, given the team's position in the standings.
"Regardless of what situation I come into, I'm going to have the same mindset," said Woll. "I think I've realized the importance of consistency in that way, and I'm just going to come out and do my best, stick to my routine, and do the things I know."
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